The assignment was given after Cambodia issued the ban on sand exports in order to protect the country’s environment in July.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked the construction ministry to issue proper solutions and guide localities to take the initiative in stabilising the local construction materials market. He said that Vietnam will continue to implement the policy of not exporting all kinds of sand to foreign countries.

According to statistics provided by the ministry’s Construction Material Department, licensed sand mining can meet only 60-65 percent of the demand of large cities. Meanwhile, Vietnam is rapidly developing its infrastructure; therefore, the demand for sand is continuously increasing.

The country’s demand for sand in 2015 was approximately 92 million cu.m. The volume is predicted to reach 130 million cu.m. by 2020.

Statistics revealed that Vietnam’s total sand resources are estimated to be at 2.3 billion cu.m.

Insiders said that with the rapid pace of construction, the supply of sand will be exhausted in less than 15 years.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment also warned that without planning or sourcing alternative material, there is a risk of running out of sand for construction.